The Netherlands Will Miss 2020 Renewables Targets, Government Review Shows

Despite recent investments into new wind energy capacity, the Netherlands will miss its 2020 targets for renewables and greenhouse gas emissions reductions by a fair margin, according to a government review published last Thursday.

The review findings are that renewable energy will provide (based on current projections) only around 12.4% of the country’s energy supply by 2020 — well under the 14% target that was set for 2020 as part of the agreement with the European Union.

Accompanying the projected failure to achieve the above discussed renewable energy goal, the review also notes that the country’s efforts to achieve a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 25% (as compared to 1990 levels) by 2020 as part of the Kyoto Protocol deal are likely to fall short. Current projections show the country achieving an only 23% emissions reduction by 2020 (as compared to 1990 levels).

“Green campaigners said the figures showed the government had to do more, quickly. ‘If we keep on like this the Netherlands will still be bungling at the bottom of European lists in 2030,’ the Dutch Union for Renewable Energy, representing renewables companies, said,” as reported by Reuters.

“Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp said the projections had improved since last year, due to ‘the successful roll-out of wind energy on the sea’. Stung by a court ruling in 2015 that found the Dutch government was failing to live up to its obligations, Kamp began a more ambitious roll-out of wind turbine farms in the North Sea and earmarked 100 million euros ($118 million) in extra spending to combat climate change.

“Parties in a new government this month agreed to close five coal-fired plants by 2030 and increase taxes on polluters.”

The new review predicts that the share of the Dutch energy mix held by renewable energy will increase to 23.9% by 2030 — well under the European Union goal of a 27% share by 2030. Correspondingly, the government review projects that greenhouse gas emissions will only be reduced (as compared to 1990 levels) by 34% by 2030 — well under the goal of 40%.

Interestingly, the report predicts that there will be more jobs within the country in the renewals energy sector by 2020 than in the fossil fuel sector.